The present invention relates to a lid lock controller that controls the locking and unlocking of a lid of a vehicle.
The body of a vehicle (e.g., gasoline vehicle) includes a fuel lid that opens and closes a fuel filler. The lid includes a lid lock device that prevents unauthorized opening of the lid. A typical lid lock device includes a lid lock pin that may be engaged with the lid. The lid lock pin is engaged with the lid to lock the lid and disengaged from the lid to unlock the lid.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2005-280586 describes a lid lock device that performs an unlock control when a lid switch (or lid lock lever) is operated under a situation in which the vehicle door is unlocked and ID verification of an electronic key is accomplished.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2005-133529 describes another lid lock device that unlocks the lid when a feet detection sensor, which is arranged at a lower portion of the vehicle body, determines that the user is in the vicinity of the lid and, at the same time, ID verification of an electronic key is accomplished.
In the lid lock device of Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2005-280586, when the vehicle door is locked, the lid cannot be unlocked even if the lid switch is operated in a state in which the ID verification of the electronic key is accomplished. In this case, the user is required to unlock the vehicle. This is inconvenient.
In the lid lock device of Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2005-133529, the user has to move to the detection area of the feet detection sensor to unlock the lid. This may be inconvenient because the user has to be in the vicinity of the vehicle for the feet detection sensor to function. Further, when the user is in the vicinity of the vehicle, the lid may be unlocked against the user's will.